Preview: UFC Fight Night 207 ‘Volkov vs. Rozenstruik’

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Featherweights

Michael Trizano (9-2, 3-2 UFC) vs. Lucas Almeida (13-1, 0-0 UFC)

ODDS: Trizano (-240), Almeida (+195)

It will be interesting to see if Trizano can fully turn a corner. New Jersey’s “Lone Wolf” did not appear to be a particularly inspiring winner of “The Ultimate Fighter 27” back in 2018, as Trizano was an unspectacularly well-rounded fighter without one thing on which to hang his hat. However, that steady consistency served him well early on, as Trizano was able to rely on staying patient and countering whatever his opponents brought to the table—until his first loss in 2019, which saw Grant Dawson work to a takedown and a submission without much trouble. After two years off due to injury, Trizano rebounded with an impressive win over Ludovit Klein that addressed some of those issues. Trizano never quite overwhelmed Klein but did a much better job of moving forward and forcing a fight rather than standing back and allowing his opponent to take the initiative. Trizano came back to earth a bit with a February loss to Hakeem Dawodu, who was able to control him in the clinch on top of being more potent offensively, but he is still obviously figuring some things out and progressing accordingly. Now, he welcomes Brazil’s Almeida to the UFC. Almeida was undefeated prior to his September fight on Dana White’s Contender Series—a solid showing in a loss to Daniel Zellhuber. Almeida got off to an impressive start but set a pace he could not maintain, eventually fading and allowing Zellhuber to throw some impressive offense. Almeida rebounded with a November win on the regional scene to get a UFC deal and does have a chance to score an early finish in this one, particularly with his ability to find a submission in short order. However, beyond that, this could be rough going for the UFC newcomer. Trizano may not be spectacular, but he has historically been quite durable and can keep up a consistent fight for 15 minutes, which looks to be an issue for Almeida at any sort of pace. That is even before factoring in that this is Almeida’s first cut to featherweight in a good while after a run at lightweight, which only further figures to sap the Brazilian’s gas tank. Almeida should be a willing dance partner for three rounds, but the pick is Trizano via decision.


Jump To »
Volkov vs. Rozenstruik
Evloev vs. Ige
Trizano vs. Almeida
Silva vs. Botelho
Menifield vs. Mozharov
Herrig vs. Kowalkiewicz
The Prelims